My Team Sorting Adventure, Part 2

The first try at team sorting was rather encouraging, even after 20 years of not riding a horse! I was glad it was just an "informal get-together" at the local arena, and that I'd chosen a "tamer" horse to ride. It was fun and challenging, but in a relaxed atmosphere. After trying this sorting thing, I was hooked! (As much as you can be when you don't own a horse.)


So the next summer rolled around, and it was time for the local fair once more. This included the yearly team sorting contest on the last night of the fair. Our friend told us that there was a beginners class we could try out if we wanted to. Very tempting! Hubby and I rolled this around in our minds.


So time for the sorting event rolled around. Hubby and I and younger son were hanging out at the arena while our friend was getting last minute things lined up and in place. Long story short - I took the plunge and decided to ride in the beginners class. So Hubby went with me to pay and enter (thank you Hubby for moral support!), and that was that! I had to see it through, now!


A few differences from the previous get-together:


I paid to ride. Good, hard-earned money.


Rode a more-highly-tuned horse.


There were LOTS of other participants and fairgoers WATCHING!!


At least I was wearing appropriate jeans and boots that were mine.


I wore (borrowed) spurs for the first time in my life. That was an interesting experience in itself, especially when I had to go walk through the fairgrounds to the ... uh ... "ladies' room."


This time, I rode our friend's mare, Amiga. Here is a picture of Amiga:





Amiga is a pretty horse, and a great cowhorse. She's a little more high-strung than Hollywood. So I kind of anticipated that as I got on her and started riding around and getting used to her. (ONCE AGAIN, I had to have a "little" help getting on! I tell you, this is embarrassing!) So we rode some circles at the other end of the arena where other riders were "warming up." One lady I know saw me as I was riding around, and she, unaware of my horse background and interest, said, "That's the LAST place I thought I'd see you --- on the back of a horse!!" Ha ha - but there I was ... ON THE BACK OF A HORSE.


As the event got started, I sat on Amiga for awhile amongst the others, watching teams get started. All of a sudden, Amiga turned her head around and put her muzzle right on my boot! It was as if she were saying, "Who in the world is back there???" Then she turned around again and all was well. Thankfully.


Then I heard my name ... my sorting partner and I were "on deck," that is ... NEXT. (Our friend's niece was my sorting partner - she worked the gate while I sorted.) Then ... it was our turn. We rode into the first section of the pen, which was empty. My stomach was doing flip-flops. I felt a million eyes watching us. Then as we went through the center gate, the announcer called out a number, and ... the action started!!


Talk about the fastest minute-and-a-half of my life!! We went after our numbered steers, one after the other. But wow-ee was Amiga fast! She was ahead of me something fierce! SHE WAS READY TO SORT. And She was SO fast, switching directions going after steers, that I was grabbing leather in order to hang on!! Of course when I did that, the reins dropped a little, and she'd take that as a cue to go after a steer I didn't intend, but that wasn't her fault at all ... that was just how responsive she was. I had to grab leather several times, or she'd have been out from under me. BUT ... with all that said, my partner and I were able to get two steers through the gate with no penalties. Suddenly .... the timer buzzed. "Already???" Wow. Our turn was over.


So we left the pens, I patted Amiga on the neck and praised her, and I thanked my sorting partner for helping out a rank beginner! But IT WAS FUN AND I'M STILL HOOKED.


Last summer, Hubby and younger son and I were spectators the whole evening, and that was really enjoyable. It was with a different sponsoring organization and had a slightly different format from before, but totally fun to watch. And they actually got done before midnight! Here are a few pictures from that event ---


An earlier team doing some sorting:






Another team waiting to start sorting ...






... these steers:






Sending a steer through the gate:






The challenge of sorting a steer away from his buddies:






They had two sets of pens set up. Here, in the far pens, is our friend and his niece (the gal who helped me the year before) getting ready to sort:






Our friend's niece sorting while our friend works the gate (the riders in the foreground are just watching and warming up):






Steers coming around!






It gets pretty wild at times!






Our friend and his niece bringing them steers around:






Another team doing some sorting in the closer set of pens:






Hubby and younger son watching the sorting action earlier in the afternoon:






Me at the sorting:





Will I sort this year? Will my *very own spurs* actually get put to use? Can I save enough money to enter the class? (LOL) We'll see! But even if I don't actually sort, I'll have a BLAST watching. Maybe I'll watch Hubby this time!